


Domestic Bliss

by Ensign_Conners



Category: Star Trek: Alternate Original Series (Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Family Feels, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-10-26
Updated: 2013-12-26
Packaged: 2017-12-30 13:57:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,711
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1019444
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ensign_Conners/pseuds/Ensign_Conners
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Jim is a stay-at-home dad who also works at home as a computer programmer while Leonard works long hours at the local hospital. They're married and have two sons, fraternal twins, Aidan and Caleb. This is going to be a variety of little one-shots to hit you right in the family feels.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Coming Home

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Laipin](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Laipin/gifts).



> I wrote this because of Lai and iantosgal having a conversation about Jim and Bones having kids. We agreed it would be adorable if they had two kids and that while each one would have the mannerism of one of their dads, they would look a bit opposite of them as well. So Aidan has brown hair but blue eyes while Caleb is blond with hazel eyes.
> 
> I couldn't help myself.

 

 

 

 

 

This is the little progression picture-set I made for the twins. <3 Just something visual and cute for everyone to see! 

And go look at the art Laipin did!! Ahhhh, so cute! 

<http://laipin.tumblr.com/post/65179064502/>

 

 

xxxx[  
](http://laipin.tumblr.com/post/65179064502/)

 

Leonard sighed in relief as he shut the front door quietly behind him before taking his messenger bag off and hanging it up on one of the coat rack hooks. He rolled his shoulders back and tilted his head from side to side, groaning softly at the crackling pops that accompanied the movements. It was damn good to be home, especially after such a long, nightmareish shift at the hospital. He was seriously in need of a million CC's of family time and epic cuddles.

 

Leonard set off down the hall to see just what his family was up to. He'd worked through most of yesterday evening and into this evening, so it was only about 5 o' clock, and Leonard was in that state of being so tired that sleep wasn't actually going to come for a while yet.

 

He turned into the living room and stopped in the archway as he took in the scene before him with adoring eyes. He found himself creeping forward quietly toward the couch where Jim was asleep and stretched out across the cushions, head pillowed on the armrest. Aidan was passed out on his chest, mouth agape and mushed to the side from the way his cheek was resting against Jim's collarbone. A trail of drool was seeping into the neck of Jim's shirt at a steady pace and Leonard almost laughed out loud, but instead managed to smother it to whispering snorts.

 

Jim had his left arm curled around Aidan, his hand resting over the three year old's head, fingers threaded through the messy short brown locks. His right arm was pressed along his own side, the remote to the television in his grip.

 

Leonard turned around to look at the TV and smiled at the muted picture of rambunctious monkeys running around on the screen. It was one of those discovery channel episodes, something Aidan loved watching, and the louder the animals were, the better. It was at times, completely endearing when Aidan copied animal noises like tigers or zebras, and then at others it was brain-meltingly piercing like when he imitated elephants, monkeys, or wolves.

 

Of course, Leonard wouldn't change it for the world. He loved every little quirk in Jim, Aidan, and Caleb. His amazing, beautiful boys. It made all the hours at the hospital worth it, and it was infinitely heartening to know he had them to look forward to at the end of his shifts.

 

Leonard grinned as he grabbed some tissues from the end table before gently grabbing Aidan's chin and lifting it to wipe the drool away. The little boy snuffled softly but otherwise remained deep asleep, lips smacking together a couple times before settling in a closed position, lucky Jim. Seeing as the drooling was taken care of, Leonard straightened up and looked to the stairs, wondering about the location of his other son.

 

Caleb's brown plaid blanket was crumpled up in the recliner like he had been laying there earlier, but had probably grown bored when Jim and Aidan had passed out. Caleb, despite his Jim-like looks, acted more like Leonard. He was quiet and sometimes moody, often regarding Aidan with the same level of annoyance that Leonard had when he first met Jim during his med school years. Not that it wasn't obvious that Caleb loved his fraternal twin and vice versa, but not everyone got along every minute of the day, especially if you were kids.

 

Leonard passed by the dining room table where Jim's laptop was open with the screen-saver on. He reached out and closed it before heading upstairs, careful to step lightly unlike Jim and the kids who sounded like a herd of cattle anytime they went up or down.

 

Leonard peered into the twins' room, noting in exasperation that the tent maze the boys had constructed with Jim's help two days prior had yet to be cleaned up and put away. Leonard grumpily reminded himself to get on to Jim about it later. While the tent maze had been a fun and somewhat constructive thing to do with the kids, it wasn't meant to stay that way. More than likely, one of the boys would end up collapsing it on themselves and someone would end up crying.

 

“Caleb?” Leonard inquired softly, kneeling by the opening of the sheet-constructed fort. “Hey, bubba, you in there?”

 

“Daddy?” Came the equally soft reply, before he heard rustling over by the corner of the room that grew closer to the entrance. Leonard only saw a curly blond head before he was suddenly tackled around the waist. “I'm glad you're home. Papa made the TV quiet and I wasn't even tired.”

 

Leonard smiled and sat back, pulling Caleb into his lap so he could wrap him in a big hug. “What were you doing in your fort, huh?”

 

Caleb huffed, chubby little arms locked tight around Leonard's ribs. “I was lookin' at my picture books. I like the one with Doctor Teddy Bear.”

 

“Yeah? I like that one, too.” Leonard said, running his hand over Caleb's head before tickling his sides a bit just to hear the little boy's cute hiccuping giggles. “You wanna help me make dinner, booger bear?”

 

Caleb pulled away and nodded rapidly, hazel eyes lit up in joy. He loved helping Leonard with everything, even folding the laundry, which thank goodness for that, cause if he had to live with three rowdy mess-makers, he didn't know how he'd survive.

 

“What should we make for Papa and your monkey of a brother?” Leonard prompted, lifting Caleb into his arms as he stood.

 

Caleb giggled, clinging around Leonard's neck. “Noodles, please! I mean... uhm... I bet they'd like noodles.”

 

Leonard smirked in amusement at his son's attempt at being coy as he padded softly back downstairs to the kitchen. “Okay, I don't see why not. Noodles it is.”

 

“Yay!” Caleb cheered, and Leonard kissed the top of his head affectionately when he noted that Caleb had consciously kept his voice down, mindful of the two snoozing in the living room.

 

“I think we'll make some chocolate chip cookies for dessert, how does that sound?” Leonard asked as he set Caleb on the counter near the stove but not close enough to risk getting burned by anything.

 

“Yay times a gajillion!” Caleb responded, wiggling excitedly on the counter. Leonard snickered at his little wiggle worm before handing over a big plastic mixing bowl for Caleb to hang onto. He was already prepared for this to become a messy dinner prep, but the delight on his son's face was completely worth it.

 

 

xxxx

 

 

Jim woke up to the interesting smell of both pasta and cookies in the air. A slow smile spread across his face at the hushed sounds of his husband mentoring Caleb on his batter stirring. He felt a little bad that Bones was making dinner after being on call for so long, but he knew the other man wouldn't hold it against him. Jim would just make a point to pay Bones back later tonight once the kids had been put to bed.

 

He let his eyes shift down to the top of Aidan's head, the young boy still fast asleep on his chest. “Hey, monkey.” Jim murmured, wanting to wake Aidan up since dinner would be ready soon and he didn't want Aidan to be bouncing around the house at 9 o' clock cause he'd napped too long.

 

Aidan grumbled unintelligibly and shifted some.

 

“Come on, daddy and bubba are making cookies.”

 

“Huhwuh? Cookies?” Aidan blurted, head lifting and one eye half open.

 

Jim grinned and ruffled the boy's hair. Cookies was the magic word, of course. “Yeah, let's go see how they're doing.” He said, sitting up and letting Aidan slide into his lap.

 

Aidan yawned hugely and rubbed at his eyes with curled little fists before looking up at Jim. The little boy giggled the next second and Jim raised a questioning brow at him. “I drooled on you.”

 

Jim looked down and pulled the neck of his shirt back. Yup... he had definitely been drooled on. “Yeah, thanks a lot.” Jim chuckled good-naturedly as he dived down and blew a raspberry into his young son's neck.

 

Aidan squealed loudly and did his sneaky snake maneuver, sliding out from under Jim's arms and off the couch where he landed on all fours between the couch and coffee table. Jim laughed as the boy crawled swiftly away, hissing like a cat over his shoulder at Jim before disappearing into the kitchen where he heard his son meow excitedly.

 

“Hey there, kitty cat!” Jim heard Bones exclaim. “Are ya hungry?”

 

“Meow, meow!” Aidan responded, dutifully in character.

 

“Well, I don't think I have any kitty food.” Bones said with exaggerated concern.

 

“Yeah, kitties can't eat noodles or cookies.” Caleb chimed helpfully.

 

“Okay, I'm not a kitty no more!” Aidan immediately replied, and Jim chuckled to himself as he stood up and stretched.

 

“Ah! There's my monkey man!” Bones said, Jim listening as Aidan giggled happily to his husband most likely swooping the little boy up into his arms and... yep, giving him a loud smacking kiss on the cheek. “Ew!” Aidan yelled to which Bones cackled evilly.

 

“Alright, help me stir this, muscles.”

 

“Okay!”

 

Jim walked into the kitchen grinning. Bones had Aidan perched on his hip by the stove, letting the little boy sloppily stir the spaghetti sauce in its pot with a giant wooden spoon. Caleb was sitting on the counter beside them, arms deep in the mixing bowl with a sheet of haphazardly balled up cookie dough chunks spread over it.

 

“What's up, doc.” Jim greeted, coming in on the side Bones didn't have an armful of kid.

 

Bones turned to look at him, eyes lighting up happily. Jim would never get over that glow in his eyes when he looked at him. It was a glow that hadn't faded with time, sometimes it only seemed to grow brighter. “Hey, sleeping beauty.”

 

They leaned together and shared a lingering kiss, the boys giggling quietly.

 

“Thanks for making dinner, Bones. I'll give the boys their bath tonight so you can relax. And a little something after, too.” Jim mumbled against his husband's lips, his own lips curving devilishly. He gave a teasing nip to Bones' bottom lip as he pulled away, purposely turning from the other man's flushed expression to lavish attention on Caleb.

 

“Lookin' good, bubba. Those are going to be some yummy cookies.”

 

Caleb looked up at Jim with a shy smile, his hands in the process of rolling another ball of cookie dough. “They'll be yummy cause, uhm, cause I make them with love, like Spongebob when he makes krabby patties and all the fishies are happy.”

 

Jim smiled wide, recalling the episode Caleb was referring to. When you were a stay-at-home parent, you became way more familiar with kids' shows than you ever wanted to be. He supposed there wasn't anything to complain about though. Jim actually enjoyed Spongebob, not that he would ever tell Bones. “Are you going to be a Chef when you grow up?”

 

Caleb splatted his current cookie ball onto an open spot on the aluminum sheet and dug his hands back into the batter. “Uhm, yeah, maybe. Or a doctor like daddy.”

 

Jim shared an endeared look with Bones.

 

"Well, I'm gonna be a pilot like Uncle Pike!" Aidan piped up, making airplane noises and almost flinging spaghetti sauce all over with the spoon when his arms winged out but thankfully Bones saw it coming and gently stilled the appendage before it could flail.

 

"Me and papa are gonna be rich with a pilot and a doctor in the family, huh, Jim?" Bones said with an amused lift of his brow, stirring the sauce himself now and bouncing a grinning Aidan on his hip.

 

"Yeah, you guys gonna send us on awesome, fun vacations when we're old, saggy grandpas?" Jim said, poking Caleb in the side and smiling when he made a pillsbury doughboy-esque 'hehe!'

 

"Only if we get to come, too!" Aidan said loudly, hugging around Bones' neck and killing Jim's heart with the utter adorableness of it all. This was definitely one of those perfect family moments that you looked back on and recalled with startling clarity because it had just meant that much to you.

 

"You got a deal, munchkin." Bones said softly, eyes warm with affection.

 

The oven dinged then and Bones looked over at Caleb. "Almost done, bubby? The oven is ready."

 

"I'm done!" Caleb chirped, wiggling cookie batter covered fingers at him. When Jim looked in the mixing bowl it was apparent that he had been done for a little bit but had been playing in the leftover batter coating the bowl. His eyes crinkled happily at the noticeable hearts etched in various places and one that looked like a wrinkly cat.

 

Jim set the mixing bowl aside and picked Caleb up under his arms to carry him over to the sink. “Let's clean you up so we can set the table.” He said, turning the water on to a lukewarm setting and helping Caleb stick his hands under the flow.

 

Bones was being his multi-tasking self with Aidan still glued to his side as he lowered the setting on the sauce and then pulled out the fresh batch of cookies that had been baking and set them on the counter to cool. Then he grabbed the second pan and slid it easily into the oven before setting the timer again and moving on to stack the plates on the counter to set the table with, the strainer for the noodles landing beside them with a well-practiced flourish.

 

Jim got Caleb nice and batter free, and dried him off before setting him to the floor and taking Aidan from Bones. “Okay, let's set the table, boys.”

 

“Yayyy!” They both cheered, Aidan tearing off into the dining room as soon as Jim set him down and handed him four plates. Luckily, they'd decided early on to just buy some nice plastic dishware while the kids were young to avoid any glass breaking incidents. Jim refused to blame it on himself... so what if he happened to drop stuff a lot... the dishware change wasn't because of him, nope.

 

Caleb was more reserved, patiently taking the silverware from Jim and doing a strange prancing dance off into the dining room.

 

“Paaappaaa, you left your lappy-toppy in here!” Caleb called a second later, voice a perfect replica of Bones' 'I love you but right now I want to throttle you' voice.

 

Jim winced and quickly scooped up the drinking cups, but Bones was already speaking.

 

“That reminds me, someone hasn't cleaned up a certain tent maze they helped build.”

 

Jim avoided his husband's eyes and hurried from the room. “I know not of this tent maze you speak of.”

 

“Jim!”

 


	2. Clean Up Time Is Play Time, Right?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Continuation of the first chapter. Jim and the kids are sent upstairs after dinner to clean up the tent maze. Jim delays.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am working on a completely different part for this series right now, but I don't think it'll be up by tonight so I decided to put up a little drabble-ish continuation to the first part I did a while back.
> 
> The actual next part should be up tomorrow, so yay, more fic. It'll be a more serious situation for the family. =O
> 
> Thanks for reading. <3

Ever the mature adult of the house, Jim got bored after folding the first sheet that had been a part of the tent maze. He looked over at Aidan, smiling as the boy sloppily threw the corners together and folded as fast as he could. Caleb was being his methodical, mini-daddy self, carefully aligning each corner and folding the sheet into a near pristine square.

 

Jim was impressed, but still bored.

 

Aidan squawked when Jim pounced on him. "Papa!"

 

Jim cackled and wrangled a laughing Aidan so that he was lying across one of the spread out sheets, then he started to roll him up in the sheet. "I'm a spider! I found my dinner for tonight, muwhaha!"

 

Aidan had started yelling at first but now he was positively screaming as Jim rolled him up further in the sheet. "Noooooo! Hahaha, help! Help! DADDY!"

 

"I already ate, daddy! It's too late, my tasty dinner." Jim said, hamming it up in his role as the evil spider.

 

"Caleb!" Aidan cried, his wide grin giving away how much he was enjoying being a burrito. Only his head was visible now as Jim tucked in the end of the sheet.

 

"Yummm! So tasty!" Jim said with an exaggerated air before snuffling at Aidan's left ear. "Nomm, nom nom!"

 

"EEEEEEE!!!" Aidan screamed before breaking into hiccuping laughter, his burrito body wiggling all around. "Caalleebbbb!"

 

Jim sat up and looked over at Caleb who was hiding under his bed and grinning over at them. "Your brother is in trouble and you're hiding under the bed?" Jim asked the little blond with an amused smile. "The spider is going to eat him."

 

Caleb giggled and rolled around under the bed. "Yeah, but I ain't getting eaten!"

 

"I see how it is. Gonna save your own skin, huh?"

 

"Yes!"

 

"Well, think again!" Jim said loudly, crawling over to the bed.

 

Caleb screeched and wriggled out. He tried to climb over the top and run past Jim, but Jim grabbed him around the middle and picked him up. "So much dinner tonight! Yum!"

 

"Daddddyyyyy! Daddy!" Caleb cried inbetween his laughter, kicking his legs as Jim carried him over to wrap him up like a burrito, too.

 

"What the heck is going on up there?!" Bones called from downstairs, sounding annoyed.

 

"THE SPIDER IS GONNA EAT US!" Aidan hollered back.

 

"Spider? Oh, for-- Jim!"


	3. Expect the Unexpected

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Leonard is working at the hospital when he's told Jim will soon be arriving by ambulance...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I dunno. I just randomly started writing it and now I have finally finished it. I love this 'verse very much and look forward to doing some more scenarios. Yay.
> 
> Keep in mind, I don't know the specifics of how things go with allergic reactions/ER situations but I did try to do some research, lol. So if there are not right things, you can blame my laziness. :P

 

 

 

There are those days where everything is going as it normally does, no surprises and you certainly don't expect any. You're so close to the end of your shift and then, out of left field, the last thing in the universe you want to hear from someone's mouth is that a loved one is on their way to the hospital.

 

Janice Rand, one of the nurses who rotates shifts at the ER desk, comes skidding frantically around the corner as Leonard is reading over a patient chart at the 2nd floor ICU desk.

 

“Dr. McCoy! Your husband is about to be admitted. The EMTs are bringing him in now.”

 

Leonard is totally frozen at the words, staring dumbly into her wide eyes for agonizing seconds before everything explodes at once in his head. “ _What?_ Jesus! _Jim?_ He's hurt? What about the kids?”

 

Janice starts running along beside him as he stalks off to meet the ER nurses at the elevators, fear making his heart hammer like crazy in his chest.

 

“The kids aren't with him. All I heard when they called in was that he'd had an allergic reaction to something and went into anaphylactic shock.”

 

Leonard forces the doctor side of him to take in the information and let it comfort him somewhat. Depending on the severity of the reaction, Jim should be just fine, but how did the reaction happen and how long was he in shock before he was treated? Wasn't he next door at Gaila's having dinner with the kids...? Oh, fuck...

 

He rounds the corner with Janice as two ER nurses come off the elevator with Jim on a portable bed between them, oxygen mask covering his nose and mouth. An IV is already set up in his arm delivering antihistamines and cortisone.

 

“Jim!” Leonard calls, heart leaping in his chest. He rushes to Jim's side and moves along with the nurses as he picks up his husband's hand and squeezes it.

 

Jim looks up at him through slightly puffy eyes, face splotched red from the reaction. His mouth quirks a bit in what Leonard thinks is supposed to be a reassuring smile, but the swelling in them just makes Leonard's chest ache with worry. “Bones...” He rasps.

 

“Jim's going to be fine, Dr. McCoy, he was given an epi-pen pretty soon after the reaction.” One of the nurses, Carol Marcus, updates him softly near his side.

 

Leonard nods and pets back Jim's bangs as they arrive in a free ICU room, the nurses moving to set up monitoring equipment. “Jesus, what the hell did you eat?” He scolds gently.

 

Jim's mouth moves a bit but no words come out as he blinks slowly, gaze unfocused. Leonard continues running his hand over Jim's head until the blond closes his eyes, obviously exhausted.

 

Leonard looks over to Carol and reluctantly lets go of his sleeping husband's hand. “Can you keep an eye on him while I go see how the kids are?”

 

She smiles supportively and nods. “I'll be here the whole time.”

 

“Thank you.” He says with a relieved sigh, forcing himself to exit the room so he can pull his cell phone out. He sees three missed calls from Gaila, only from a couple minutes ago. He dials her back immediately.

 

“Leonard! Oh, thank god! I am _so_ sorry!” Gaila exclaims as soon as she answers and Leonard can hear Caleb crying loudly in the background.

 

“Calm down, Gaila. It's okay. Jim's okay.” He says hurriedly, wishing he could be there to comfort his babies.

 

“Oh my god, thank goodness. This is all my fault. I didn't know, I'm so sorry.”

 

Leonard rubs at his forehead, unable to stand the sound of Caleb's cries. “Are the kids okay?”

 

Gaila makes an upset noise and Caleb's cries draw closer. “Yes, Aidan is still sniffling but Caleb just won't stop crying. _Hey sweetheart, your daddy's on the phone. Come on, you have to stop crying so you can talk to him, okay?_ ”

 

“Put me on speaker, Gaila.” Leonard says insistently, clutching the phone to his ear.

 

Caleb's cries abruptly sound closer and echo-y in the way that speakerphone makes things.

 

“Hey, bubba. Come on now, darlin', everything's alright. Papa is okay.” Leonard croons through the phone, pacing the hallway outside Jim's room.

 

Caleb quiets significantly and gives a snotty inhale. “Daddy?” He asks brokenly.

 

“Yes, sunshine. I'm with Papa now and he's okay. No more tears. You know your daddy will patch Papa up good as new cause that's his job.”

 

“Yes, I know.” Caleb says thickly, whimpering a little. “I was scared, Daddy. Papa turned all... all red and-” Caleb starts to cry again.

 

Leonard presses his free hand over his eyes and fights back tears.

 

Caleb starts trying to talk again through his sobs. “A-Aidan gets al'my desserts... all my desserts for a long ti-time, okay? And c-candy. Cause he 'membered about da peppy pen. He 'membered and I just... just _cried_.”

 

Leonard presses his hand over his mouth next to hold back his own sob because he knows exactly what Caleb means. Aidan remembered Jim's epi-pen and good lord, how long had it been since he'd given the boys that talk.

 

“It's okay, Caleb. It's okay.” Aidan murmurs through the line.

 

Leonard takes in a deep, shuddering breath. “My beautiful smart boys. I love you both so much.”

 

“Daddy, can you come home? Can Papa come home now?” Aidan asks sorrowfully.

 

Leonard rubs hard at his forehead and turns on his heel to begin a new round of pacing. “Papa has to stay here for a little bit, but you can come see him in the morning, okay?”

 

“Please, come home, Daddy.” Caleb sobs.

 

Leonard mouths a curse, the pleas of his boys breaking his heart. “Gaila, hon, can I talk to you?”

 

“Yes, one sec.” He hears her say and when she speaks next, everything sounds normal again. “What can I do?”

 

“If it wouldn't be too much trouble, do you think you could sit with Jim tonight so I can stay with the kids? I'll bring them up in the morning and you can go then. I just don't-can't leave-” He tries to get out, all of him torn between being as close to his lover as he can as well as his children.

 

Gaila speaks in a rush. “Yes, yes, of course! I'll stay with him as long as you need.”

 

“Thank you, Gaila.” He sighs out, rubbing tiredly at the back of his neck. “Let me talk to the kids one more time.”

 

Gaila puts him on speaker once more.

 

“I'm gonna come home, okay? We'll all go visit Papa in the morning and Miss Gaila is going to sit with Papa tonight so he's not alone.”

 

Aidan and Caleb bravely agree to be good for Gaila and wait for him to get home, then he's off the phone and shuffling back into Jim's room.

 

“Carol, I know you were about to be off shift, but do you think you could sit with Jim until Gaila gets here?”

 

Carol looks up from where she's petting Jim's hand and doesn't hesitate in her response. “Yes, I don't mind at all.” She smiles at him with gentle humor. “After all, I owe him for the coffee he brought us when we pulled that crazy double shift.”

 

Leonard smiles back, though it feels painful on his face. “Thank you.”

 

Carol nods. “Go on now, I already paged M'Benga. He's going to cover tonight's shift for you.”

 

That was about to be the next thing Leonard was going to have to take care of, so her selfless forethought almost sweeps him off his feet with gratitude. “You're a godsend. I owe both of you.”

 

With that, he gives his sleeping husband a kiss on the forehead and murmurs his love and promises to return, then he's hurrying to pack up his stuff. He exits the hospital at a clipped walk and it takes all of his willpower not to speed back to the house.

 

When he gets home he barely makes it in the door before his boys are tackling him, both crying and trying to talk at once.

 

Leonard kneels and pulls them both into tight hugs, unable to stop a couple of tears from spilling over his cheeks. He murmurs reassurances in their ears and runs his hands over their heads.

 

Gaila touches his shoulder gently and gestures out the door. He sniffs and nods, knowing he must look like a mess, before mouthing his thanks. He hears her leave quietly, the front door barely making a sound as she closes it behind her.

 

The boys refuse to separate themselves from him for even a second so he carries them both upstairs and sets them on the bathroom counter so he can wash their red little faces. Aidan has gone quiet now, eyes drooping sleepily while Caleb still sniffs wetly every now and then, little hands curled tight in his shirt. He lets the teeth-brushing take a vacation for the night and gathers them into his and Jim's bed without changing his own clothes.

 

Aidan and Caleb cling tightly to his sides and he clings back, an arm wrapped closely around each of them. He kisses the tops of their heads as they fall asleep almost immediately, exhausted from the scare they'd faced and the tears they'd cried.

 

Leonard stays up for a while longer and texts quietly with Gaila who reassures him that Jim is sleeping soundly. It doesn't stop his heart from aching to be next to Jim, but he knows he made the right decision.

 

He lets his thumbs trail lovingly down each exposed chubby cheek of his babies before making sure they're all tucked in close. He tries to close his eyes to sleep, but he just ends up watching them sleep instead.

 

 

xxxx

 

 

The next morning arrives slowly, Leonard watching the dawn light creep gently up the wall. Only Caleb had faced any nightmares while he slept, but Leonard had calmed him quickly with soft words and a gentle hand through his hair.

 

Around seven, the boys finally start to stir. They aren't so distraught with the morning, allowing Leonard to go downstairs to start breakfast while the boys wash up.

 

Breakfast consists of both boys restless in their chairs and eating fast, ready to see their Papa in the hospital.

 

They follow him closely upstairs, poking at each other and playing a bit. Leonard is glad to see their spirits back up. He picks their outfits out and tells them to brush their teeth before going to change quickly. He grabs a fresh set of clothes for Jim since he'll be able to come home today, probably about as soon as they arrive.

 

The car ride is a bit rowdy, Caleb and Aidan more excited the closer they get. They're practically jumping out of their seats when they see the hospital and Leonard has to give them a stern lecture about how to behave inside the hospital.

 

Thankfully, the boys are quiet once they're inside, though predictably they get loud again when they step into Jim's room and see him. Leonard closes the door behind them as Gaila helps the boys up onto the bed so they can curl around him. Jim is no longer on an IV, only the vitals monitor clipped to his pointer finger so there isn't any risk of tubes being yanked out.

 

Gaila comes over to Leonard once the boys are busy talking to Jim and pulls him into a hug. She pulls back and brushes at his hair, probably trying to help it look less like a pigsty. He hadn't done much with it before leaving the house, he hadn't had the energy.

 

“Did you get any sleep, Len?” She murmurs with concern in her eyes.

 

Leonard smiles softly. “I will when I get Jim home. Thanks for being here with him.”

 

Gaila nods and rubs at his shoulders. “Any time. I'm so sorry about all this. I didn't know he was allergic to almonds. How could he have known I'd put almond flour in the cake, and here I thought I was clever and it would taste great and I'd be the awesome cake lady with the secret cake recipe-”

 

“Gaila,” Leonard stops her from apologizing for the millionth time. “We should've told you about his allergies from the beginning. We got too comfortable, he hasn't had a reaction for so long, and like you said, it was chocolate cake. You don't expect almonds to be in it. It's not your fault that Jim assumed.”

 

Gaila takes a deep breath and lets it out slowly. “Well, do you need me to help with anything else?”

 

Leonard presses a kiss to her temple and shakes his head. “You go on home and relax. Everything is fine now. We'll see you later.”

 

She nods one last time and goes to say bye to Jim and the kids before leaving the hospital room.

 

Jim is finally able to turn his attention to Leonard standing at his bedside, the kids still in his arms sharing a cup of jello he'd saved for them from his breakfast. “Hey, Bones.”

 

“Hey, darlin'.” Leonard murmurs, feeling an anxious weight lift from his chest with Jim's blue eyes open and on him, full of affection.

 

“Let's go home, huh?” Jim says with a crooked little smile.

 

Leonard leans down and kisses him briefly on the lips. “Let's go home.”

 

 

xxxx

 

 

Jim's older brother, Sam, is waiting for them at the house with his wife, Aurelan, and their daughter, Petra. Petra is a little older than the twins, but gets along well with the boys. They race off to play in the backyard almost as soon as they meet again.

 

The grown-ups all hug and say hello before Aurelan explains their presence. “Sam thought we'd be a bother, but I insisted on coming over for the day. Just to help you guys with the kids and make lunch and dinner, you know? I'm sure you're not feeling your best yet, Jim, and well, just look at Leonard.” She says, eying Leonard like he'll fall over at even the slightest breeze.

 

Leonard frowns and looks down at himself, only now realizing that his green sweater is inside out. He looks over at Jim accusingly who shrugs in a way that means he hadn't even noticed.

 

Sam snickers and tells them to go upstairs and rest while they watch the kids and keep them busy.

 

Leonard stands there nervously, eyes drifting to the kitchen window where he can just see Caleb rolling around in the grass and laughing.

 

Jim huffs and gets behind him so he can push him along upstairs. “They're kids, Bones. They bounce back easily. They're not scarred for life.”

 

Leonard scowls over his shoulder as he's marched up the stairs. “Sure seemed like they were last night. 'Bout broke my damn heart.”

 

Jim sighs behind him and stops him near the kids' room. His hands come up to frame Leonard's face, thumbs brushing gently at his cheekbones. “I love you so much. Thank you for looking after the kids. I know I scared all of you. It won't happen again.”

 

Leonard pulls Jim close and presses their lips together. “Better not,” he mutters against Jim's lips.

 

Jim breaks away after a moment and takes Leonard by the hand. “Come on, it's nap time. You've got that constipated brow-crinkle thing you get when you're exhausted.”

 

“Constipated-what?” Leonard growls, letting Jim drag him into their room.

 

Jim laughs and pushes him onto the bed. “The faster you get some sleep, the faster we can have lots of sex while Sam and Aurelan are keeping the kids busy.”

 

Leonard snorts in disbelief. “Jim, you just got over an allergic reaction.”

 

“Ugh, finnnee. Can we at least make out a lot then?”

 

Leonard huffs out a laugh and wrestles Jim onto the bed next to him. They spend a good while making out before Leonard yawns in the middle of it and Jim insists they sleep.

 

Tucked under the covers and tangled together, Leonard still can't help but fix his drowsy gaze on Jim's face. Sleep seems painfully close and yet impossibly far away at the same time.

 

Jim stares back at him, eyes knowing. His hand comes up and starts running soothingly through Leonard's hair.

 

“I love you, Jim.” Leonard murmurs, eyes drifting closed at the steady pleasure of Jim's fingers. He's surrounded by his husband's smell and warmth, and it's acknowledging those things that lets that last string of resistance unravel.

 

“Love you, too, Bones.” Jim whispers, the feel of his fingers following Leonard into sleep.

 


End file.
